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Hi, I've enjoyed reading through your journal. We have a lot in common. What really started me to take serious steps was the birth (I was 45) of my son Davy. I've got older boys (23 and 21). Becoming a father at age 45, and at nearly 300lbs has been a real challenge. To make it more challenging, he is very athletic and would be happiest playing sports all. Day. Long. Ugh...

When he was just six he asked me to go outside and play with him and I said I didn't feel well (I rarely felt well). He asked me what was wrong and I told him honestly that I was too fat and it hurt me to run, around like he did. He thought about it for a few seconds and said, "Well, why don't you stop eating so many bad foods, then you don't have to be fat and you can come out and play with me?" He said it in such a loving, childish, and non-judgemental way that it really hit home.

I had a few false starts, but managed to struggle my way down to 275 conventionally before starting with PB. It's working and I have enough energy to play with him more and more. Recently he said, "you're not so fat anymore" :-)

About the high cost of eating Primally, if you can get a chest freezer, you can buy grass fed beef by the quarter and pork by the side at real savings. Mine works out to be about $5.00/lb. As for organic vegetables, they are expensive no matter where you get them. I try to search out local farms, not so much to save money, but because it makes me happier to support people who are trying to make a difference against huge agribusiness. Shake the hand that feeds you, so they say.

I once read a statistic that Americans spend 10% of their income on food, the rest of the world it is closer to 20-25%. Our agriculture has been heavily subsidized by the government for a generation, so we've become used to cheap (relatively) food. Eating Primally requires sourcing food from suppliers that do not benefit from these subsidies.

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explain it to him this way.... it should last 20 years, and it can do so much more than a regular blender...... That's just $20 a year, or just about 19 cents a day to make you happy.

Hubby's an aircraft mechanic, so he totally understands quality and buying things that last forever! Right now, though, he says, "But the one we have works just fine!" Of course, I'm the one scraping and fiddling with it, not him! (And funny how he didn't protest when I bought him a new Ducati motorcycle when he already had a BMW motorcycle... --Although he deserved it!)

About the high cost of eating Primally, if you can get a chest freezer, you can buy grass fed beef by the quarter and pork by the side at real savings. Mine works out to be about $5.00/lb. As for organic vegetables, they are expensive no matter where you get them. I try to search out local farms, not so much to save money, but because it makes me happier to support people who are trying to make a difference against huge agribusiness. Shake the hand that feeds you, so they say.

I once read a statistic that Americans spend 10% of their income on food, the rest of the world it is closer to 20-25%. Our agriculture has been heavily subsidized by the government for a generation, so we've become used to cheap (relatively) food. Eating Primally requires sourcing food from suppliers that do not benefit from these subsidies.

Think of the cost as very low cost health insurance.

Best of luck!

^ This. I buy 1/4 a cow for hubby and I, it lasts us almost a year, and cost comes to about $2.75 per pound; cheaper than the cheap ground beef in the commissary! I've also found that shopping at local farmer's markets really isn't that much more expensive for veg and fruit than the regular stuff. It seems to last longer, too. You might want to see if you have a local CSA, that's a good way to save money.

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Yes, Wegmans rocks - I got used to one of their fancier flagship models in NJ and then moved to the wilds of rural Ohio... sigh.

Your kids ARE awesome if they stick up for you, for politeness, and for having the courage to send a potential friend packing - at their young ages! That makes all of you awesome - them for their character, and you and the wife for raising them that well! (I have four daughters)

The catering kitchen thing sounds great - my Second (second-oldest daughter - I number them here on the MDA like in those old Charlie Chan movies) wants to be a chef, and her heroes all come from the Food Network - not the TV/movie/music industry. Well, except for Chris Hemsworth as Thor... (which I personally don't disagree with )

Yeah, I agree with everybody else - buy and read Mark's books first. There are so many folks here living with so many things to heal or deal with that they kind of collectively tweak in all different directions, and that gets confusing.

Sorry about the implant - I sport one. The implant is awesome - the process wasn't. I got impatient with all the healing times, necessary as they were.

Philly, eh? I miss the Philly Flower Show. Hope your day goes very well indeed, and I'll check back soon!

I have a mantra that I have spouted for years... "If I eat right, I feel right. If I feel right, I exercise right. If I exercise right, I think right. If I think right, I eat right..." Phil-SC

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While she was rude, she was also very much correct. I am 5 foot 5, and about 285 pounds. I have never been thin in my entire life - not even as a kid. In 1999, I dropped about 80 pounds through RELENTLESS exercise. I was biking about 75 miles a week, and spending another 10 - 15 hours a week in the gym. I was obsessed with losing weight. It wasn't really a good time for me. Every single day that I didn't work out, I beat myself up over it. I was not mentally healthy, I am sure. I got down to about 200 pounds. ( My highest ever was 326 pounds ).

Anyway, I have decided that I need a lifestyle change again. I need to adjust my diet, and get back to the gym, without becoming obsessed again. I'm going to start slowly, and start tomorrow, on September 24th, 2012.

Hey there, I just wanted to share with you that I had the EXACT same experience, except that it wasn't a little girl, it was an adult man with schizophrenia. He called me a "slightly overweight middle aged divorced woman." Ha ha. The use of the word "slightly" was him being polite. After he said that, I knew he was right, and I did relentless exercise and dieting to get it off. Went on a low carb, low cal, low fat diet. All veggies, all the time, no meat, no fat. Rode my bike 3000 feet elevation up and down every day. Ran up to 5 miles a day. I got the weight off, but I got severe depression. Eventually it all came back because my diet went back to normal and the exercise stopped working.

This time around, lots of fat, plenty of calories, plenty of meat, much less exercise but still plenty since I like it, I have no depression, I've gotten the weight off and I feel great. This diet is way more effective, satisfying and health-restoring. You are going to succeed this time around.

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I forgot to tell you about our new favorite breakfast. Hamburger patty (not the preformed ones) cooked in butter with a fried egg on top. Last time I put it on a bed of mixed greens and drizzled the pan drippings over it all. OMG!! SO tasty!!

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.

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I forgot to tell you about our new favorite breakfast. Hamburger patty (not the preformed ones) cooked in butter with a fried egg on top. Last time I put it on a bed of mixed greens and drizzled the pan drippings over it all. OMG!! SO tasty!!

Yeah, hamburgers with over easy eggs are awesome!!!!!

OK, today was better for getting a nice variety of food..... lots of veggies.

Here was dinner:

about 8 ounces of homemade butternut squash soup
ab out 8 ounces of baked tilapia
and broccoli with some butter on top.

Put everything in a big soup pot. Bring to a low boil..... let it boil about a minute or so, then turn down to simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Transfer to a blender and puree til smooth. Reheat just before you need it, adding the coconut milk.... heat and stir. If you like, add a smidge of pumpkin spice on top as garnish.

Now I need to do some research... I want to make french onion soup, without the bread, of course..... It seems like it should be primal, but I need to make sure.

So, yeah, today was a much better day.... The hand is getting better, but still sore..... not too bad from the tooth.... I need to make an appointment with a periodontist, it seems.....

And now, I want to find some kind of recipe for a primal pumpkin cookie for dessert.

Start Date 9.24.12Starting weight 285ish ( scale is acting funny so I don't trust it, but 285 is close )CW - 271 pounds
First Goal - 255 by 2013
Main Goal - To be healthy for my family... I have an awesome family.
Other Goal - to get off some medications
Final goal - to get to about 180 pounds by 2014
NEW GOAL - When I can start a new journal called "Your dad is not so fat!"

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So, a few days ago, I started a blog... I am absolutely clueless with that kind of stuff..... I wanted to blog every day, but this site has me coming to it 15x a day...... I like reading the journals.... I like watching the videos... and I like the information.... and SO FAR, lol, I like every single person here!

OK, I am sure many of you know the online game called World of Warcraft... or as people call it, World of Warcrack..... I have been playing it for almost 8 years. Well, I came up with a new resolution...... For every 45 minutes I play WoW, I have to do 10 sets of my stairs, and I have 3 levels of stairs.... so 30 sets of steps for every 45 minutes played. I started that today.

Start Date 9.24.12Starting weight 285ish ( scale is acting funny so I don't trust it, but 285 is close )CW - 271 pounds
First Goal - 255 by 2013
Main Goal - To be healthy for my family... I have an awesome family.
Other Goal - to get off some medications
Final goal - to get to about 180 pounds by 2014
NEW GOAL - When I can start a new journal called "Your dad is not so fat!"

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BTW, this is a bad photo taken from an old underwater camera, but here is my hand:

It kind of looks red and infected in the photo, but it isn't infected. It seems to be healing really nicely. That was about an inch and a half long, and pretty darn deep..... I know I should have gone for stitches.

Start Date 9.24.12Starting weight 285ish ( scale is acting funny so I don't trust it, but 285 is close )CW - 271 pounds
First Goal - 255 by 2013
Main Goal - To be healthy for my family... I have an awesome family.
Other Goal - to get off some medications
Final goal - to get to about 180 pounds by 2014
NEW GOAL - When I can start a new journal called "Your dad is not so fat!"

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Now, I am not an expert by any means, but I see people advocating eating one huge meal a day, and nothing else the rest of the day. Well, being diabetic, that would be terrible for me, but honestly, I can't imagine that it is good for anybody. I read another journal where the guy eats primal - when he eats, but he doesn't even eat every day.... he skips days at a time! All that makes me wonder if they really have a clue about primal. ( again, not that I am an expert, but I can't imagine that being a smart idea ) Heck, maybe "I" am the dumb one... I don't know.

Anyway. I did go out and find a recipe for primal pumpkin cookies..... I made it and ate 4.... they were about the size of an Oreo. Kind of dry and flavorless, and definitely not too sweet. I "really" wanted a glass of milk to go along with these cookies. I was kind of surprised that the recipe had no eggs in it.

I am an EXCELLENT cook, but a terrible baker, so I follow baking recipes to the "T". Maybe I just picked a bad recipe. I do know that I am going to have to find a good source for almond flour... The place near me wants $12 a pound for it!!!!!!!! Surely there must be a better supplier on the net.

So, today I went shopping at BJ's Wholesale..... and I did find some stuff that was cheaper than at the local grocery stores.... but the variety was lacking.... But I did find the brand of eggs that I use, to be 40 cents cheaper per dozen. I found some organic bison meat at a reasonable price - it didn't say grass fed, but it also said it didn't have any of the bad stuff, like antibiotics.

I found some Kerrygold cheese. I never had it before, but I see it mentioned here A LOT. I found organic butter for just 30 cents more per pound.... so I bought 2 pounds. I bought a package of, I think it is called "Appledale" bacon.... Too expensive, but fortunately I don't want to eat much bacon.

Oooh, and I may get in trouble for this, but today I cleaned the fridge.... and as I was wiping it all down, I threw away some nasty stuff that I can't eat, but my wife does... but rarely.... I can only hope she won't miss it! But she had lots of stuff that was loaded with HFCS..... and transfats. I don't know what PB says about trans fats, but "I" have no intention of eating them.

Anyway, this is my last post until tomorrow, here, so have a great night everybody!

Start Date 9.24.12Starting weight 285ish ( scale is acting funny so I don't trust it, but 285 is close )CW - 271 pounds
First Goal - 255 by 2013
Main Goal - To be healthy for my family... I have an awesome family.
Other Goal - to get off some medications
Final goal - to get to about 180 pounds by 2014
NEW GOAL - When I can start a new journal called "Your dad is not so fat!"

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OK, so my wife woke me up at 7 to tell me that my one daughter will be staying at home today because of a bad headache. Now, I am not unsympathetic, but this does not bode well for a good day; when she is sick, she likes to spread her misery around, and is extremely cranky most of the time. I had lots of plans for today, and now none of them will happen.

OK, so, I have no idea what I will eat or do today. I was hoping for a nice long walk with one of my dogs, but it is raining. I think I will make a nice veggie filled meatloaf for dinner.

For some reason, I have woken up and feel like I am starving today. I don't know why, as I ate plenty yesterday, and even had a late night snack. Speaking of food, my wife must have really loved the butternut squash soup I made last night because all the leftovers are gone. I imagine that she took them for lunch. And a couple of the pumpkin cookies I made are missing.... Maybe if she likes this stuff she will go primal too.

Start Date 9.24.12Starting weight 285ish ( scale is acting funny so I don't trust it, but 285 is close )CW - 271 pounds
First Goal - 255 by 2013
Main Goal - To be healthy for my family... I have an awesome family.
Other Goal - to get off some medications
Final goal - to get to about 180 pounds by 2014
NEW GOAL - When I can start a new journal called "Your dad is not so fat!"